Author's Notes-- Hiya people. It's Jess yet again, this time with another chapter of Pieces. Woohoo, and I got it out before the New Year too... just like I promised. See... I do keep my promises. cheeky smile
So how was everybody's holiday? Did everyone get what they wanted? I sure did... well actually not everything... I didn't get my AJ, but oh well, ya can't get everything you want in life, right?
I hope everybody likes this chapter... cause from the amount of response I got from the last chapter makes me wonder how many people still like my story. (I got like two emails. Poopy.)
Shoutouts to MF and Jacqueline... you guys rock!
And if anyone wants it... I have Grand Finale 2 done... that is if you want me to send it in. Hehe
Disclaimer... where'd I put that thing.. oh yeah here it is blows the dust off of it "Backstreet is not gay, that is unless they say they are...and I have no afiliation with these five boys that resign in Florida, the one state in the Union that doesn't know how to vote." (A little Nicky and election humor in there for ya)
And here ya go... Chapter 8
After a long hot shower, I stepped out of my room wearing a pair of jeans and my favorite Nike sweatshirt. Before I stepped into the common area, I took a quick glance to see if Kevin was in there, and if he was, were any of the guys with him. Thankfully everyone except Kevin was in the common room. I walked into the room a bit more confidently and collapsed into one of the armchairs, and let out a sigh as I did so.
"Nicky!" Leigh shouted a split second after she saw me. She untangled herself from Frick and assaulted me with a large hug. "Are you okay hunny?" She asked as she kissed my cheek. Damn. I'm glad I'm gay; otherwise Bri would be so pissed at me about all the affection Leigh gives me.
"Yeah, I'm good." I said as I nodded my head.
"You sure?" Leigh eyed me carefully.
"Yes I'm fine... well at least I will be. As soon as I can forget about that idiot." Which at the rate I'm going is going to be rather soon. I'm already on another crush. But they don't know that.
"You positive Frack?" Brian asked, concern showing perfectly through his eyes. Oh yeah Bri I'm good. I'm in love with your cousin too... but I can't exactly tell you that one now can I? Nope, don't think so.
"Yes I'm fine." I said as I rolled my eyes. "I'm not gonna kill myself today or anything like that, if that's what your wondering about."
"Just making sure Nicky." AJ said.
"Don't call me Nicky!" I yelled to him. I hate it when AJ calls me that. Sounds so demeaning... or something like that. Everyone laughed.
Just then, we all heard a deep voice clear their throat from the doorway. "Um, if I'm not interrupting anything too earth shattering, don't we have a rescheduled photo shoot to get to?"
Damn it, Kevin. Just don't say or do anything out of the ordinary Carter. Put those little acting skills you have to the test. "We do?" I asked, turning to Kevin.
"Yes we do. Howie was able to rescheduled it yesterday so we could have the afternoon off." Kevin said, staring right at me. Don't stare at him for too long... don't take in the tight, slightly muscular body underneath the black wifebeater and open dark blue shirt... or the piercing green eyes. Damn it, too long. He's giving you a funny look.
Shit, cover up. "Um... let's go then." I said as I stood up. He's still giving you a look, but at least now you can walk away from it.
"Nick's right, let's go." Howie said as everyone else stood up. We all walked out of the suite, me keeping as far a distance away from Kev as possible.
Stepping out of the limo, I noticed that we were at a loft apartment building. Damn it looks exactly like Zach's too. We always come to these lofty apartment complexes when we're doing photo shoots in the city. Must be the openness of a loft that attracts all of these photographers or somethin'.
We quickly entered the building where we were met with our photographer for the day. "Hey Andrew." Howie stated. "Thanks for moving the photo shoot."
"Wasn't a problem. Luckily I didn't have anything to do today, so moving the photo shoot to today was a breeze." Andrew smiled. We've actually worked with Andrew a few times before, and I can honestly say he ain't that bad a guy.
Stepping into the loft, we were directed by one of Andrew's assistants to the clothing and makeup room. This was going to turn into one interesting photo shoot, I could already tell.
Forty Five Minutes Later
After the Backstreet Boys had been clothed and all five of them had gone through what Brian so lovingly called the "makeup gauntlet", they went back to the main area for the shoot. The set was rather simple, with silver, white, blue and purple balloons all over the place, and in the center were several large crates painted silver.
"Cool set." AJ mumbled to himself.
Andrew came over to the guys, with his camera in hand. "Okay here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna do individuals first, then some group. AJ you're first."
"Okay Drew, where do ya want me?" AJ asked as their photo session finally started. AJ went first, then Brian, Kevin, Howie and Nick was last. As Kevin was doing his shots, AJ couldn't do much but watch Kevin go through his set. After watching Kevin for a few minutes, he nudged Howie and whispered, "What the heck's up with Kev?" as he inclined his head towards the aforementioned bandmate.
Howie looked at Kevin while he was taking his shots. Kevin was smiling, but it was his fake plastered smile that didn't reach his eyes. The guys knew each other well enough to know when one of them was just pasting on a smile and when they were actually smiling for real. Kevin it was always real easy to tell because the only kind of real smiles Kevin ever made were the ones where he was so happy the smile was reflected in his sharp emerald eyes.
Howie looked at Kevin further and noticed that Kevin's eyes were watching Nick, who was with Brian on the other side of the studio, waiting to take his shots. Kevin looked as if he was carefully watching Nick; almost afraid Nick was going to do something drastic. "He's probably just worried about Nicky, that's all." Howie whispered to AJ.
"Okay." AJ said as he dropped the subject.
But AJ couldn't help but bring up the subject again when Nick was taking his shots. "Now what the hell is up with Nick?" AJ asked Howie.
Howie looked closely at Nick while he was in the middle of taking his shots. Nick also had a plastered smile on his face, not the real 'Carter' smile at all, and his eyes were darting everywhere, never staying on one thing. "Nick's probably just not into these shots after what Zach did to him." Howie surmised.
"Okay." AJ said as he dropped the subject yet again, but his bandmates behavior was still nagging him in the back of his mind. AJ was disturbed out of his musings when Andrew yelled, "Group shot time."
The boys did some shots where they were playing around on the set, bouncing balloons back and forth and whatnot. Then Andrew said, "Okay guys now I'm gonna need some of you standing together... no that's not gonna work." He said seconds later as the guys grouped together, but the way they had grouped together was all wrong, according to what Andrew had wanted to picture in his head.
"Okay Brian, you switch with Howie, now you and Kevin switch... okay hold it right there." Andrew said. Andrew had moved the guys so that Kevin was standing next to Nick, who was standing next to Brian. Howie and AJ were kneeling in the front.
Andrew looked through his camera's viewer again, and saw that there was a rather large space visible between Nick and Kevin. Motioning with his hands, he said, "Kevin and Nick move closer together." Still looking through the viewer, he saw Kevin take a small step towards Nick, but there was still a space visible, one that Andrew didn't want, 'Oh well, we'll just have to work with it.' Andrew sighed to himself. "Okay now AJ drape your arm over Howie, Howie over AJ, Brian over Nick, Nick over Kevin and Brian, and Kevin drape your arm over Nick...Okay perfect." He said as he saw what he wanted in his viewer. "Stay like that..." he said as he adjusted his camera for his final shots.
Suddenly Kevin broke away. "I can't." He muttered as he ran out of the studio.
Andrew looked up at the four remaining Backstreet Boys, with a look of 'what-the-heck-was-that' visible on his face. AJ looked to Howie, and raised his eyebrow in question. Howie on the other hand, had no real idea what to make of Kevin's quick exit. Brian was wondering what had just happened, while Nick started at the door Kevin had just run out of, with a look of hurt on his face that luckily no one saw.
Howie was the first to notice the look that Andrew was giving his clients. "We're sorry about that Andrew. Do you have enough shots?" Howie said, apologizing for Kevin's weird behavior during the middle of their shoot.
"Luckily I do." he said as he waved his hand, "You guys are done for the day." He sighed as he watched the four members walk, rather quickly, towards the dressing room. "I wonder what that was all about." He muttered to himself as he packed up the rolls of film he had with the guys on it.
Back in the dressing room, Brian was quickly changing out of his clothes. "I'm gonna go find Kev." He said as he hastily put on his sneakers.
"He shouldn't have gone far, just check outside." Howie said as he was putting on his pants.
"Okay." Brian said as he rushed out the door. He walked around about half of the building, yelling out, "Kevin! Where are you!", when he saw his cousin leaning against the wall of the building, staring out into the street.
"I'm right here cuz, don't have to yell so loud." Kevin said simply as he continued to stare out into the street.
"Well when your trying to find a cousin which just unexpectedly runs out during a photo shoot, and you have no idea where they could have gone, you'd be yelling too." Brian scolded Kevin. "What the heck was that in there?"
"Nothing. I just had a sudden case of claustrophobia, that's all." Kevin said as he started out into the street some more.
Brian knew that Kevin NEVER suffered from 'sudden cases of claustrophobia', and that Kevin was just avoiding the subject entirely. But not knowing at all what the problem was, and not knowing anyway to approach Kevin about the real reason why he ran out, Brian just said nothing.
Suddenly Brian and Kevin were disturbed out of their silent reverie, by the loud creak of a door opening. Both cousins looked to the door, and saw the remaining three members of the Backstreet Boys step out of the loft, clothed in their street attire.
"What happened in there Train?" AJ asked immediately as soon as he saw Kevin leaning against the building.
Kevin pushed himself off of the building. "Nothin J." he said as maneuvered through the three boys at the door. "I'm gonna go change. I'll be back in a minute." Kevin said as he closed the door, cutting off further questioning of his actions in the studio. Brian, AJ and Howie all looked at each other with questioning looks on their faces wondering what was going on, while Nick just stared dishearteningly at the door Kevin had just closed, knowing exactly the reason why Kevin was acting funny.
Email's still Midnight_Violet18@hotmail.com. Email me pretty pleasey? See ya in the New Year, Jess